The original proposal was to dig a canal from Botany Bay to Sydney Harbour.
This would create a man-made waterway for barges to transport goods
to boats waiting at wharves in Sydney Harbour.

This proposal came at a time when aeroplanes had not been invented,
and when the roads in the colony were best described as dreadful.
It was a good idea since, at the time, most of Sydney's factories
were concentrated in the area between Botany Bay and the City.